Ocean of Fire
by Princess of the Knight
Summary: Aerith Gainsborough takes a much needed vacation to get away from it all. She never expected to meet someone who could send her heart soaring. Enter Demyx, a boy who she met years ago but had forgotten. As the two reunite sparks begin to fly but Demyx is hiding something that may tear the two apart. What starts off as a summer fling could end up killing them both. crack Aermyx
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I do not own kingdom hearts**

**Summary-** After ending a long term relationship, Aerith Gainsborough takes a much needed vacation to get away from it all. She decides to revisit a beach where she and her family visited when she was a child. She just wanted a fresh start and she never expected to meet someone who could send her heart soaring. Enter Demyx, a boy who she met years ago but had forgotten. Demyx is different from all the other men Aerith had met. He is quirky, spontaneous, and fun. As the two reunite, sparks begin to fly but Demyx is hiding something that may tear the two apart. What starts off as a summer fling could end up killing both of them.

**Ocean of Fire**

**Chapter 1**

"_Aerith?"_

_A little brunette girl looked up at a man and a woman. Her emerald green eyes looked wet as she wiped them with the back of her hands. _

"_Where have you been?" the woman gasped, the sound of relief in her voice. "We have been looking everywhere for you!"_

"_You know better than to leave without telling us!"_

_The little girl nodded and stood up._

"_I'm sorry, mommy... daddy."_

_Her mother knelt down and wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly. The hug she the little girl returned was weak. The mom pulled away slightly but kept her arms around her._

"_Why are you out here..." she noticed tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?"_

"_I want to go home."_

* * *

It had been years since Aerith Gainsborough step foot on the Twilight Town Beach Resort. Her cabin sat overlooking the beach, making it one of the best views. Many of the other cabins sat on the hill on the other side of the winding path to the beach. Most of those from what she could gather were still vacant but she was sure in a few more weeks they would be full. She wanted to make the best of the silence for as long as possibly. She sighed sadly before taking in a long breath.

The smell of the salty sea air and the warm breeze against her skin brought back the memories of when she first came here as a child. She remembered standing out on her cabin deck and looking down at the ocean before her. Her parents never did take her back here after that long summer. She never questioned it but it probably because it became too expensive. Even now Aerith knew she was paying a lot of money to spend the next three months here but it would be worth it. She needed to get away.

The last few weeks had taken a toll on Aerith. She had just ended a long term relationship and the break up was not something she expected. It was abrupt and shocking to her. Heated words, fueled by betrayal made her unstable. She wanted to scream out the hurt inside but instead bottled it up. Her friends tried to coax her to talk about it but Aerith wanted to simply forget about it. What was there to talk about? What happened would not change nor would it make her feel better. Yet, the hurt and constant reminder put unnecessary stress on her. So much so she needed to get away.

She took a leave of absence from work and hunted for a place to go. Initially Twilight Town was not her first place to go. In fact, she would not have chosen it at all had she not seen a flier for it. She at first thought about taking a cruise or perhaps find a weekend spa but then she realized how she wanted to be alone. She wanted little interaction with people so she could sort out her feelings and come to terms with her heartbreaking break up.

That or forget about it completely. Either way Aerith wanted to make the best out of this bad situation. She entered her cabin and quickly came up with a list of things she would need to buy at the local grocery store. Lucky for her the grocery stores, restaurants, and attractions were all in walking distance from her cabin. There were brochures conveniently placed in her cabin when she came in. It was obviously the resorts way to get people to go to local areas to give them business. A few of the places and attractions interested her, including a boat tour and the botanical gardens. She was definitely going to have to go to those.

However, she needed to get to that grocery store before doing anything else. After finishing her list, Aerith left her cabin and headed down the road to the plaza where the local grocery store was. There were many stalls outside in the plaza. Many selling fresh foods and others selling souvenirs in hopes to cash in on the tourists visiting. Aerith spent a good chunk of money getting some of the necessities to cook with, most of it included spices.

After buying a several grocery bags full of produce and spices, one of meat and fish, and the last dairy products Aerith headed back to her cabin. Several of the vendors were trying to gain her attention, hoping she would spend money on their products. Aerith kindly declined and hurried away.

_I hope it's not always like this, _She thought.

She did not want people bothering her like this every time she came to the plaza. She hoped that further into the summer there would be more people around and the shop keepers would be too busy with them than to bother with her.

As she walked back to her cabin, Aerith wondered if this was how it was back when she was kid. Were the vendors at the plaza always so chatty? She could not remember. She probably would not remember anyway due to the fact she spent most of her time on the beach, that she was sure of. She was also sure her mother or father went to the plaza to shop and brought her rarely.

Aerith vaguely remembered her first trip to the beach. She was seven years old back then and the memories were fuzzy but she did remember she had fun. She also remembered a firm scolding she received because she left the house without her parents knowledge. Yet, she could not remember why she left in the first place. Well who could expect her to remember now anyway? She was in her twenties. Regardless, she wanted to feel the warm sun against her, lay on the sand, swim in the ocean again.

The idea sounded like a good idea. How could she resist? It had been ages since she had been to any kind of beach. This resort was miles away from her hometown. Her hometown had no large bodies of water other than the local public swimming pools. Aerith was not much for going to the pools. Mostly because they were so crowded that she would constantly be bumping into someone. Instead she spent her times enjoying coffee and the cafe near her apartment and listening to local musicians play covers of old songs. She wondered if there was a cafe like that here.

Approaching her cabin, Aerith had to fish out her key to the cabin, which she had tucked into her pocket. She tried to juggle the bags in her hands so she would not have to put them down. She struggled trying to hold all the groceries in one hand instead of making it easier and putting the bags down. When she finally fished it out she felt one of her bags of produce slip from her fingers. Next thing she knew she saw her oranges, lemons, and kiwis rolling away.

"Stupid," Aerith called herself under her breath. "You couldn't just put the bags down."

Aerith continued to scold herself as she knelt down to pick up her spilled produce. As she gathered them, tossing them in the bag, she heard the sound of scraping against the concrete. She looked up to see someone in the distance walking down the path from the cabins on the other side of the path that sat higher on the hill. It was a man with wild blonde hair but other than that Aerith could not make out his other features.

The man looked at her and turned away. He then stopped for a brief seconds or two and looked back at her. Ignoring him, Aerith went on gathering her fruit. She let out a small sigh of annoyance when she noticed some of her fruit were bruised now.

"Great," she muttered.

When she finished, she gathered the package in her arms and stood up. Yet, before she entered her cabin she felt as if someone was watching her. She looked up to see the man glancing over his shoulder at her. Aerith wondered if he was trying not to laugh at her for being so clumsy. Maybe he had debated on walking over to help her or maybe he was just a weirdo. Hurrying up, Aerith got inside her cabin and began unpacking forgetting about the man.

If she hurried she could go down to the beach. She only hoped it would be as vacant as it was when she first took in the gorgeous view. With all that said and done, Aerith felt the anticipation rising. The soothing sound of the ocean waves were beckoning her to come. She could not wait to step into the water once again. The swimming pools in her hometown were not the same as the ocean. The chlorine was bad enough and it damaged her hair and it was crawling with children. Not that she disliked children by any means but she wanted the peace and quiet this resort location offered.

Finishing her unpacking Aerith just needed to change, slather some sunscreen on, and she was a short walk to the beach. The brunette found her swim suit laying on her bed. She had left it out because she had been anxious to jump into the water the moment she arrived. All her other things were already stored away in the drawers and closet. Aerith stripped out of her clothing and changed into her swim suit. She grabbed a turquoise towel that she purchased just for this trip (ripping the tag that was still on it off). After, she adorned a pair of plain white flip-flop sandals and walked down to the beach. Then feeling foolish, she turned back around and returned to her cabin to get her sunscreen before finally, for real this time, leaving.

It was still early summer and most of the cabins were empty. She was sure later on there would be more families who would spend their entire vacation on this beach but until then she would enjoy the peace. For now it would be like her own private beach, just for her.

Once near the edge where the shore met the water, Aerith laid out her towel and kicked off her sandals. She slathered on a generous amount of waterproof sun tan lotion because of her milky white skin she burned easy. When that was finally done she ran to the water. The moment her feet hit the water she felt an instant soothing feeling. The warm water crashed against her bare legs as she waded in. The smell of the salty sea air was fresh and vast contrast to her hometown, which was much more industrial. Staring out at nothing but sea and sky that were so rich in their color, Aerith had to awe.

When she was at about waist level deep, Aerith dove under the water. She was only down for a few seconds before coming back up. Her head crashed through the water and she took a breath of air. It felt so good. She pushed her bangs back out of her eyes. She looked around, taking in her surroundings again before she lay back allowing the shifting water to carry her as she swam absentmindedly.

The water splashed against her and it felt as if it was washing away all her pain. Weeks of stress melted away and all she could think about was how peaceful it seemed. The only sounds came from the crashing waves, the occasional seagull, and warm summer breeze. Yet, all of them made her feel calm, relieved, and peaceful. This is everything she wanted.

_I can forget about it, about everything here._ She thought.

Perhaps it was not the best thing to do. Maybe she should have confronted her feelings and talked to someone but she did not want to talk about it. She had been crying for too long, being alone in her apartment, being miserable, feeling sorry for herself. No, she would not sit and mope and talk about her feelings to people who pretended to know what she was going through. No, she was going get over this in her own way. Then after her she were to return home, she would be in better spirits and be completely over it. At least she hoped.

Aerith opened her eyes to look at the blue sky. Not a single cloud could be seen. She hoped it would stay like this for a while. Quiet, peaceful, perfect.

Aerith stood up and noticed she had drifted farther from shore than she had anticipated. The water now was coming almost to her shoulders. She did not want to get out too far. The last thing she wanted was to get pulled out especially without a lifeguard around. It was dangerous to be swimming alone in general. She would need to be more careful in the future.

She began to swim toward shore. She decided to tan a bit, relax and maybe nap under the warm sun. That would be nice and the idea was inviting. As she swam back she noticed small seashells littered the beach shore. Another memory popped into her head. She had given her friends seashells she had collected on her visit here with her parents. It was a vague memory but she remembered because she still had a large collection of shells left over. Whatever happened to all those shells was beyond her. Her mother probably threw them away or packed them up somewhere.

Lost in her own thoughts, Aerith did not notice she was approach a patch of bubbles coming from under the water. Just as she was about to swim over them a head shot out of the water. Aerith was so startled that she screamed and fell back into the water. She took a big gulp of salty water on accident. She stood up and began coughing out the water when a hand patted her back.

Aerith coughed several more times and looked over her shoulder as the person patting her back. The angle was odd for her so she could only see his forearm.

"I'm sorry," came a male voice. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Aerith turned around to face him. It was a man, around her age she guessed, with blonde hair and eyes a mixture of green and blue. When he saw her his face lit up like a kid on Christmas.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "I thought it was you but then I thought 'no way it can't be her there are tons of brunettes in braids' but it is you!"

Aerith stared at him wide-eyed. This energetic man looked as if he knew her. He talked is if her knew her. All Aerith could wonder was_ who the heck was this guy?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Ocean of Fire**

**Chapter 2**

"It's been how long since we last saw each other?" he asked, "fifteen or sixteen years?"

The strange man smiled at her and Aerith could not for the life of her remember who this guy was. Did she even meet him or was he confusing her with another girl? Sure she wore her hair in a braid but so did a lot of other girls and their were millions of other girls who had brown hair, not just her. He even said so himself! Yet, he continued to ramble on as if he knew her.

"So how have you been. Man did you grow up!" He examined her, surprised to see her, "Well so did I but you're taller... but not as tall as me. Well I was always taller than you but I would be surprised if you grew up to be taller than me. Ha! So much for eating your vegetables! You use to scold me for not eating them. You said I would be puny and never grow up tall. Sure showed you!"

Aerith could not take I his rambling anymore and she finally spoke, "I'm sorry but do I know you?"

The man's face fell. He looked shocked and hurt at the same time. "How could you not know me?"

_Easy, _Aerith thought. "Um... sorry but I think you have the wrong person."

Aerith began to swim away.

"That's impossible. I know who you are because I met you here."

Aerith turned again to look at him. How could he know her? She would have to have met him when she was seven. He definitely had to have meant someone else. Who could recognize someone from that age, not to mention even remember meeting someone at that age?

"Sorry but you got the wrong person." Aerith insisted.

She took a good look at him. If she had met him she would have recognized him somehow. His hair was weird. It looked like a Mohawk but with more hair left instead of being shaved off. If she had met someone with that weird hair she was sure she would have remembered. Then again, he probably did not have hair like that as a kid. Still nothing about this man rang a bell. To her, he was a perfect stranger.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. I would have forgotten you too if you didn't give me a gift to remember you by. I never did get a chance to give you a gift, but I still have yours! Do you remember what it is?"

Aerith frowned and firmly said, "No, because I don't know you!"

"But I know it's you."

Aerith wondered if this guy was missing a few screws. Most people would have just given up by now on trying to convince someone that they knew them. However, this guy was so sure of himself. She tried to swim away again.

"If I don't know who you are then how come I remember you?"

"Because you think I'm someone else." Aerith sighed. _Please, leave me alone._

"No, I don't because how many girls do you know are named Aerith?"

She froze. Slowly she turned back to look at him. Aerith was not a common name. She never met anyone with that name before. For him to say her name brought a small amount of fear in her. Could he be a stalker? Maybe he knew who she was because he worked for the landlord and knew her name from the guest book.

The look on her face must have finally registered with him. She looked scared, borderline horrified. He frowned and scratched the back of his head.

"You really don't remember me?" he asked.

Aerith shook her head.

"Wow, well that's kind of awkward." he said looking down. He then quickly looked at her again, grinning. "My fault I guess I didn't make much of an impression on you."

Aerith wanted to get away, no needed to get away. Not just because this guy was completely weird but she did not want someone to be bothering her on her vacation. This was suppose to be her getaway from it all. Now she had to deal with someone who claimed to know her.

Alright, so he knew her name but that did not mean her knew her. When she checked in she said her name to the clerk to get her keys to the cabin. He could have easily overheard that. There could have been a hundred more reasons on how he knew her name. Regardless, she wanted to get away from him. This was just too weird for Aerith.

"I'm sorry," Aerith said, "but I have to be going."

She hurried to shore. The man watched her go.

"Will you be coming out again?" he asked.

Aerith did not respond. She pretended not to hear him. Last thing she wanted was this guy to show up while she was trying to have some alone time. It was creepy to say the least. Once back in her cabin she shut the door and threw down her beach towel, lotion, and flip flips on the floor before hurrying to the shower. She wanted to wash away the smell of salt water on her. She wanted to hide from that guy, whoever he was. Hopefully, he would not follow and possibly take a hint.

As the hot shower slid over her, Aerith wondered who that man was. She hoped that he would not be a bother to her for the rest of the summer or she would have to go somewhere else. It bothered her that he knew her name. It bothered her that his mannerisms were so easy going. None of her friends were like that. They were more proper. This guy, even if she did meet him sometime long ago, could not just act so relaxed around her. He did not even reintroduce himself. How could she even try to remember him if she did not even know his name. If she did know him, his name would give her a clue about where and how she met him. Perhaps she should have asked for it. Aerith smacked her forehead.

Regardless, the man was crazy and Aerith needed to steer clear of him. For all she knew he could be a pervert who preyed on girls. In this day in age one could not be too careful.

After her shower, Aerith stood in a bathrobe in her bedroom looking at a selection of summer dresses. She had splurged on five new dresses to take on her trip. Each a different color and style that she hoped would help bring her out of her stupor by making her feel good about herself. She had been feeling too down lately, which all her friends would say was unlike her. For tonight she decided she would go out to dinner, alone, and enjoy a meal at a restaurant. She would wear a dress, fix her hair, and walk down the boardwalk in town and feel like million dollars dropped out of the sky and into her lap. Hopefully, there would be a nice place where she could eat outside and watch the sunset.

After spending a good ten minutes, Aerith chose a yellow v-neck dress with a ruffle around the neckline. She loved the way the dress looked on her and with the cute keyhole back to it. She did a quick braid for her hair and did a light touch of makeup. When she was done she stared at herself in the mirror, posing a few times to admire how pretty she felt. It made her forget how she felt bad about herself these past few weeks. How she did not feel good enough and definitely not pretty.

With her air of confidence slowly returning, Aerith grabbed a small matching clutch, popped on a pair of sandals, and headed out to the boardwalk that was not too far from cabin.

Aerith walked down the boardwalk, passing people by with a smile on her face and her head held high. Some of the people noticed her and some even said hello as she passed. Aerith greeted them with a friendly "hello" back.

She looked at the restaurants as she passed, trying to decide on one to go to. She found one that was more casual dining but also had outside seating. It was not dreadfully busy but Aerith was sure it was only because the summer had just begun. She stood in front of the hostess stand waiting to be seated. The hostess was already seating another pair of guests. She hummed to herself, rocked back and forth on her heels, minding her own business when a voice called out near her.

"You like to eat here too?"

Aerith nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around to see the man from the beach next to her. He was still dressed in swim trunks but now he sported a t-shirt and sneakers. A feeling of dread hit her. Did he follow her here? Was he a stalker? Suddenly, Aerith's appetite began to vanish.

"We can eat together if you like." he offered.

The hostess returned. She smiled at the two and asked, "A table for two?"

Without hesitation Aerith said, "No, no thank you I don't seem to be hungry anymore. Sorry for wasting your time."

She rushed out of the restaurant. This was getting too awkward too fast for her. It could not be just a coincidence.

"How come you don't want to eat?" He asked, startling Aerith once again. "You don't like seafood?"

Aerith jumped, placing her hand to her chest.

"W-w-w-w-" Aerith stuttered horribly.

"You okay?" he questioned with a smile.

It took her a minute to regain her composer. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I was hungry. I wanted to eat something."

His cheerful demeanor did nothing to calm her uneasiness. In fact, it was unnerving.

"Are you following me?" Aerith bluntly asked.

He tilted his head slightly. "Why would I be following you?"

"Because you're insane!" Aerith accused harshly. "You claim to know me and yet I have no recollection of you!"

She felt bad for calling him insane after she said it. She half expected him to get mad or look upset. Instead he continued to smile. He even laughed.

"Oh, so you did really forget me. That's okay, I know you. You're Aerith."

He was definitely creeping her out. She hurried off and lucky for her he did not follow her. Aerith did not feel hungry anymore. Instead she decided she would enjoy a nice walk on the boardwalk. That would get get her mind off things. She passed by several stores and decided to window shop.

She stopped in front of one store that had a beach motif to it, go figure. It was full of novelty items for souvenirs. Most of the things looked like they were for kids but some of them were for adults. She noticed, several necklaces at the front window, all made out of hemp with shells that looked like they were from the beach. They looked nice, intricately woven together with the shells. Had Aerith known how to weave hemp, she would have done it as a kid and given all her friends necklaces instead of just a shell. Under the necklaces was a sign saying, "Friendship Necklaces."

Smiling, Aerith decided she would have to get gifts for her close friends. Not just because she had abruptly gone on a trip but because of the way she acted. It would be a small way to make up for her negative and depressing attitude.

However, just as the smile appeared on her face it disappeared as a reflection other than her own appeared in the window.

"Stop following me!" she loudly said, turning to the man. "If you continue to follow me I'll call the police."

She turned and ran from him. He was definitely not normal. How many times could she tell him to get lost before he actually did? Is that not what normal people do, leave someone alone when they are told?

"Wait!" he called. "Just give me one second!"

She stopped running and looked over her shoulder.

"What are you deaf?" Aerith asked.

"No, but I wanted to give you something."

"I don't want-"

"And afterward I'll leave you alone. But you have to promise to take it."

Aerith glared at him. This was too weird, too suspicious.

"Hold out your hand."

"No!"

He sighed and grabbed her hand. Aerith wanted to fight him but before she could he placed something in the palm of her hand. He then let go of her and backed away. He gave her a smile.

"If you want to talk sometime... you'll know where to find me."

Then he was gone. The first thing she thought when he was out of sight was to call the police. The second was what the heck did he mean she would know where to find him? Third why would she ever want to talk to him? He was a strange person and the last person she wanted to talk to, that is if she even wanted company on her getaway.

She opened her hand to look down at the object he placed there. In her hand was smooth seashell. It was old and had a chip or two in it. She stared at it. She had seen these seashells before. They littered the beach. Aerith even recalled collecting them earlier in the day when she was a child. What was the point of giving this to her. Did he see her admiring the necklaces? Did he think this would be a sign of friendship? She should have just thrown it away in the nearby garbage can and she would have had something not bothered her. Yet, she could not put her finger on it.

Returning to the cabin, Aerith wracked her brain long and hard. Why she did not just throw the shell away and get on with her vacation was beyond her but something about the strange boy brought back a feeling of nostalgia.

Then as if she had a sudden epiphany, Aerith's mind stirred.

"_My mom said we were leaving tomorrow morning." _

"_But... I don't want you to go."_

"_I don't want to go either."_

_Aerith Gainsborough sat on the edge of the sandy beach, her bare feet allowing the crashing waves to soak her legs and feet. She sat next to a boy with outrageous blonde hair, styled in some odd fashion, and cheerful green eyes. Both were under the age of ten and wearing swim suits under their normal clothes. The two sat on a bright pink beach towel adorned with little hearts and flowers. The sun was lowering in the sky and the seven year old girl was frowning heavily. _

_She had spent her summer on this beach. Her parents rented a cabin overlooking this private beach that only residents that were renting could come and swim. On her first trip to the beach Aerith had met the boy next to her. She had been swimming when his head crashed through the water and surprised her. The boy merely smiled and introduced himself as if he did not scare her. Aerith assumed his family rented one of the cabins as well. When she met him, he already adorned a crisp tan. He was very forward, quirky, and sometimes absentminded but he was fun to be around and Aerith liked him._

_The two spent almost everyday afterward at the beach. On stormy days or days when Aerith's parents took her for errands were days they did not see each other. However, on those beautiful hot summer days when the sun shone brightly, Aerith would run down to the beach and discover the boy already swimming in the water._

_The two would swim most of the day away before coming to shore so the two could each lunch. Aerith's mother always prepared her a delicious meal. The boy only carried some sort of snack food, sometimes a bag of pretzels or piece of fruit. Aerith always shared her meal with him. After lunch, because Aerith's mother said she had to wait thirty minutes before swimming again, the two would build sand castles or collect seashells._

_However, summer was coming to an end. The hot days were steadily becoming shorter and cooler. Aerith's father had told her she would be leaving for home in the morning. The news was shocking. Her summer had been so much fun that she did not even realize that it was almost over. It made her sad. She would have to leave her friend behind._

_Now with a bag full of seashells between them, the two children sat to watch the sunset one last time. Aerith held one of the shells in her hands and stared at it. She examined every curve, groove, and imperfection on it but it was just a decoy. She wanted to be interested in the shell because she thought it would distract her from this goodbye._

"_Will you come back?" he asked, forcing the issue out._

_Aerith shrugged. She did not know if her parents would bring her back here. Even if they did it would not be until next summer at the earliest._

_He stood up, grabbing a rock in the process. He took a few steps into the water to where it was up at his ankles. He then flung the rock, causing it to skip an impressive five times before sinking._

"_That was a good try," Aerith said, standing next to him. _

_She had seen him skip rocks before when he would wait for Aerith to go back into the water. Aerith held a rock and threw it. It sank without even a skip. She laughed._

"_I guess I need to practice." she said._

"_Yeah," he agreed. "I could teach you."_

"_It's okay," Aerith said. "I'll probably forget by next summer. There isn't a beach anywhere near where I live. I'm not allowed to skip rocks in the pond at the park."_

"_Oh," he said as he skipped another rock, this time only getting four skips._

_Aerith looked down at the water sadly. "Please, don't be mad."_

"_Huh?" the boy said rounding on her. "I'm not mad! I'm just... sad that you're leaving. I don't want you to go. It won't be fun without you."_

_Aerith looked up and then held out the seashell she had been holding. "This one is yours. I was going to bring seashells to all my friends back home but this one you can have because you are my friend too!"_

_He rested his hand over the shell. The two looked one another. Their lips spread into a smile and he takes the shell. Aerith was sure he had dozens of them. He held it to him and thanked her._

"_Can I show you something?" he asked. _

_Aerith nodded._

"_But not today," he said. "Tomorrow, morning, It has to be right before sunrise okay?"_

"_I'll be here."_

_He smiled. "It's the coolest thing ever."_

_Suddenly, Aerith launched herself and hugged him tightly. The boy nearly fell back as he caught her in his arms. His smile spread as they hugged one another as if it would be the last time they saw each other. The two let go when Aerith's mother called out for her to come to dinner. _

_The boy watched as Aerith gathered the shells, her beach towel and headed up the path to the cabin her parents had rented. She turned back once to wave. He waved back. She smiled unable to wait to see the surprise he had for her tomorrow. He looked down at the shell in his hands and smiled. His fingers closed up around it and he stuffed it into pocket of his swimming trunks._

_Early the next morning, Aerith tiptoed out of her house and ran down to the beach. Her parents were sound asleep but they would be waking up soon enough. She hoped he would be there ready to show her the surprise. When she got down to the beach he was not there._

_The little girl found it unusual that her friend was not there. He was always on the beach long before she ever was. Perhaps he was running late. Maybe he was running out the door of his cabin at this very moment. Aerith waited and soon the sun began to peek out. When the sun was finally over the horizon, the boy never showed up. Tears filled the girl's eyes. She sat on the beach crying until her parents found her. They were angry with her for sneaking out without telling them. Aerith went back to the cabin to eat breakfast and then leave the beach cabin to return to her home._

_She would wonder for a long time what the surprise he wanted to show her. However, she would also wonder for a long time what had happened to him._

Aerith opened her mouth and a name escaped between her lips, "Demyx"


	3. Chapter 3

**Ocean of Fire**

**Chapter 3**

Aerith stared out from her cabin's deck down to the beach. He was there. The strange man she had met and seemed to know her. She had denied knowing him. Yet, she did know him and it was part scary and part exciting. The memories of that summer when she was seven had resurfaced. Things that had been so murky in her mind were now clear as day.

What prevented such memories from coming back so easily? Perhaps it was the fact that her life back in her hometown came crashing down like a ton of bricks. Feeling a pain in her heart that brought out so much tears it was unbearable. How could she think of anything else or even try to? She came here to forget and yet, now when she realized who that boy was it made her forget completely.

Almost.

She stared down at him, watching him enter the water and swim continuously. She leaned over the railing as she watched. Just like everyday she spent that summer, he was there in water. Whenever she went down to the beach he would already be there soaked in salt water, his skin sun-kissed from the sun. It had been so long ago and for him to remember her, heck, even recognize her was amazing because she had forgotten. Before he gave her the shell, that she had been holding since she walked out onto the deck, she could barely remember the trip.

Aerith remembered spending time with the beach but she remembered the water, the soft sand grains, the warm sun. She remembered her mom packed a healthy and big lunch for her but she never ate all of it. Memories of building sandcastles until she could swim again but how could she build such a huge sandcastles alone? It was because she could not remember the friend she met that summer was there next to her. He had been there to eat with her, to swim, to build the sandcastles and much more. Together they watched the sunset, laid on the sand talking as the sun bathed them, and walked up and down the beach collecting seashells.

They would put the shells up to their ears and pretend they could hear the ocean, even though it was right next to them. They collected as many as they could find, nice ones to give to Aerith's friends. By the end she had more than enough to give one to each of her friends and to start her own seashell collection, which for a long time she left displayed on a shelf in her room before she grew up, decided to pack them up, and place in storage.

The shell she now held in her hand was his. She had given it to him but when they were collecting them she intended to give it to one of her friends back home. Aerith wanted to give that shell to him because he was her friend. He kept it after all these years. Sure, she may have had seashells from the trip packed up in some old box in her parents house but that was a big maybe. At first, Aerith wondered if this was the shell she gave him. After all, the beach was littered with seashells. Who was to say he did not just pick up a new one?

On closer examination the shell itself looked old. The color was vastly faded. The shell was chipped and scratched. A tiny crack zigzagged over the curve of the shell. Maybe it was the shell she had given that boy so many years ago and maybe it was not. Regardless, she remembered the events of that summer as if it were yesterday.

She remembered him. The thing, no person, she had forgotten. The person she should have remembered.

Aerith pushed herself off the railing and walked back inside her cabin. She changed into her swimsuit again and a wrapped herself in a shear pink wrap. After placing on a pair of bright yellow flip-flops, she left her cabin and began to make her way down the winding path to the beach.

Her pace was slow, hesitant. She was unsure what to say or even do when she arrived onto the sandy shore and saw the boy again. He was so sure that she would remember him and he would be waiting in the usual spot where they always met. How could he remember something like that? What were the odds he would even be here this summer, the same summer she decided to be here? Was this his favorite vacation spot? Was this someplace he came every year? Did he live here? Regardless the reason, Aerith was curious. Curious to see the boy again.

The moment she stepped onto the beach she spotted him. He was sitting on the sand where the water and shore met. He allowed the rough waves to splash him and he looked as if he enjoyed being smothered by the waves. He laughed as he spit out salt water that got into his mouth and pinched his nose to get the drops that when up it. A flash in Aerith's mind reminded her of something similar.

_Seven year old Aerith, in pigtails and ribbons, ran down to the beach. There she saw the boy being beat down by waves but enjoying every minute of it. She called out to him and somehow he heard her above the waves. He turned around and waved only to have a wave crashing to the shore knock him down. Aerith had to laugh and the boy laughed too as he got up spitting the salty water out of his mouth. She ran to meet him and he waited at the edge for her. She dropped her towel and picnic basket on the sand far from the water and ran out to meet him. _

_He took her hand and the two ran into the water. They only let go when the water forced them to swim. The laughed and swam, played games, splashed one another until the day was done. Aerith would say her goodbyes and promise to see him again the very next day. He stayed on the beach as she left and she knew, the next day he would be there, waiting for her again._

Yet, now years later it was not a boy being hit by the waves. It was a man. A man with a lean muscular toned body. His skin was not as rich and tan as it had once been but it was darker than her own pale skin. He wore a pair of swimming trunks, past the knee, that were black. His hair that golden blonde, was pushed back out of his face by a sweep of his hand. Yet it looked the same. That oddball hairstyle that looked like some sort of a mohawk.

He was here waiting for her.

She was only a few feet away. Aerith took a deep breath. The wind tugged at her braided hair. She brought up a hand to keep her bangs from flying into her face. She moistened her suddenly dry lips with a sweep of he tongue. Then she called out,

"Demyx."

The sound of waves crashing were the only thing heard afterward. He turned halfway around to look at her. His bright green eyes met hers and smile appeared on his face. It erupted to a grin and Aerith found herself smiling, finding his grin infectious.

"So you remember me now?" he asked, although obvious.

The sun highlighted him. It left shadows on his toned body, bathing the lines on his body to a beautiful look. His eyes like deep green and blue pools shined with such a look that Aerith knew, and he knew, that this would be a happy reunion.

Aerith nodded. "It's been a long time."

"I don't blame you for forgetting me." he insisted. "I'm glad you remembered me though."

"How did you remember me after so long?" she asked, the curiosity nagging.

The grin on Demyx's face got wider. "I could never forget someone like you."

Her face flushed. Before she could say anything else Demyx turned back to the water and stepped in until he was knee deep in water. He extended his hand and began to wave for her to follow him.

"Let's go for a swim."

The offer was tempting but something else was far more tempting to the brunette. Her stomach was growling. She had missed dinner and now she was starving. She needed to eat something and it would be far better way to get reacquainted with her old friend, far better.

"How about dinner instead?" she asked. "I like seafood."

"Alright!" his energy rising. "Let's get sushi!"

He ran out of the water and Aerith felt as if he was still that boy she met on the beach. His grin so childish so full of happiness. He grabbed her hand without hesitation and began pulling her along.

"I hope you love sushi too!"

Aerith felt herself being swept away by him, feeling like a kid again herself.

She smiled even more and replied, "I do!"

The boardwalk seemed busier than it did earlier when Aerith attempted to get dinner. Yet, now more people were walking around, eating outside on restaurant patios, and enjoying their own vacations. Aerith allowed Demyx to lead her along the walk. He excitedly tugged her hand as he talked about his favorite restaurant that sat on the edge of the boardwalk.

"The sushi there is the best in the whole world! I swear it!" he said. "You should try this one called the dragon roll or the spicy tuna roll is always good! AH! Just thinking about it is making my mouth water."

He turned to look at her, his face beaming with excitement. Aerith had to to smile at the innocence he displayed. How ever did she forget someone like him?

"You were always like this..." Aerith said, suddenly recalling another memory from her childhood.

_Two kids sitting on a beach towel, one of them was clutching his midsection as a loud growl escaped it. The other one laughed and offered him something. The boy excitedly took the item and devoured it._

Demyx stopped. The smile on his face spread further, stretching from ear to ear.

"What else do you remember?" he asked.

"I remember..." Aerith thought for a moment. "You were hungry and it had been a long day. We had been swimming for hours and I sat on the beach with you eating dinner. My dad had grilled that night's dinner and I offered you some of my food."

"It was salmon!" He exclaimed, "I remember it smelled so weird but it tasted so good. I could have eaten more."

Aerith laughed. "I think we were the only two kids in the world who loved grilled salmon."

He laughed along with her for a good minute or so. Before they could continue on to their destination, the blonde-haired man eyes widened and he ran off, dragging Aerith behind him. The two stopped in front of a group of people playing instruments. Demyx looked mesmerized by the musician. He stared in awe as they began to play an upbeat melody.

"This is so cool!"

"You like music?" Aerith inquired.

"I live for music!" he replied instantly. "Oh, man! I always wanted to play a guitar and this one called a sitar. Music helps me concentrate."

A sitar was not a common instrument around these parts. Aerith could not even recall the first or last time she ever heard someone play one. Did he listen to music to help him study something? She recalled having music playing when she studied for school

She asked, "Concentrate for what?"

"For tests."

Aerith wondered why kind of tests Demyx did. Considering he was so young, it was probably for college exams. While she had already graduated college and got her diploma, she wondered if Demyx was just starting or if he was going for a higher degree. She would have to ask him about it sometime as for right now, she did not want to interrupt his enjoyment. The excitement on his face made her smile just as wide.

"I want to play." he said to her.

"Maybe you could take les-"

Aerith did not finish her sentence because Demyx approached one of the musicians.

He then asked, the excitement radiating off him, "Can I play a song on your guitar?"

The musician who had been playing a guitar looked up at Demyx. Aerith was sure he was going to say no. To her surprise the musician handed it over. "Anything for a fellow music lover!"

Now Aerith wondered if her friend could actually play. He stated how he wanted an instrument to play but did he actually ever learn? Regardless, she was about to find out.

Surprisingly enough he played well. No, he played better than that. He was amazing. Even the other musicians stopped their playing and watched him preform. He strummed the chords to a melody that Aerith assumed he made up on his own. She wondered where he learned to play because it sounded rehearsed. He definitely had an ear for music.

Demyx looked up at Aerith and gave her a cheesy grin. He was enjoying himself, having a blast. Aerith looked around as a small group surrounded them now. Some people were even dropping money in the musician's music case. After several minutes, he finished his song and the small crowd that had gathered as he played gave a round of applause. Demyx took a dramatic bow and handed the guitar back to the musician he borrowed it from. He returned to Aerith's side beaming.

"I didn't know you played," Aerith said.

"Oh, yeah I was told I have an ear for music. Like I said it helps me concentrate. I can pick up things better, ya know?"

Aerith nodded. She remembered having music in the background when she studied back in high school.

"I just wish I could afford my own." He added. "A lot of the locals here play music at the cafe's around here. They let me jam with them! They are so cool and really friendly."

As if on cue the guitar musician came and handed Demyx the money he earned for playing the guitar. Demyx was about to protest but the guitar player claimed "he had earned it" and would not accept it. Demyx had no choice and took the money.

He snorted out a laugh as he pocketed the money. Aerith chuckled herself.

Then he realized something. "Oh, yeah, let's go get our sushi! Sometimes I get distracted and forget what I am doing. Don't be mad!"

He looked sincerely worried that she would be mad.

"I'm not mad. " Aerith honestly answered. "Why would I be? You were just having fun."

Relief washed over him, "People get mad because I can be absentminded."

Aerith shook her head. "Well I'm not one of them. So, let's get our sushi?"

Demyx grabbed Aerith's hand again and hurried her down the street. He seemed so easy going with her, relaxed even. Most men would not just simply take someone's hand. Some people might think it was an invasion of their space. Aerith did not mind. Something about her friend made it seem alright, as if he were too innocent.

He turned to her, a questionable look on his face. "You want to get carryout because I was thinking we could go back and eat on the beach."

"That sounds wonderful."

And it was a wonderful evening. The two sat on the beach stuffing their faces with sushi that they got carryout at a restaurant. Demyx did not bother using chopsticks. He just used it fingers because it was easier. He loved his sushi with soy sauce and tons of wasabi because to him, the hotter the better. Aerith on the other hand was politely eating her sushi using chopsticks and making sure not to drip any soy sauce.

The two chatted about their time together seven years ago. It felt like a great distraction for Aerith. She loved it and enjoyed it. She had planned on spending this trip alone but upon meeting up with her old friend, it would just be wrong not to spend time with him. He seemed so carefree and innocent. It was refreshing from her life back home.

_Home, _Aerith thought feeling a small hint of pain etch its way into her. How she never wanted to go back home. How she rather have traveled out here and forget her life. She ran away instead of facing her problems and solving them. To her thought, running away was easier. Forgetting painful things were easier than facing them.

"Ah nothing can be better than this." Demyx announced, breaking Aerith from her silence. "I got sushi, I'm sitting on the beach, and I met you again Aerith."

"You are so upbeat, then again you always were even as a kid." She complimented. His childlike attitude made her at ease.

Demyx gave her a big cheesy grin. "It's better to be positive. _Things could be worse_."

Aerith nodded. Things could have been worse. She could have been moping all day about _him_. Luckily for her, she had a good distraction. She glanced over at at, at him.

"Remember when your mom use to pack lunch for you." Demyx asked as he held a roll up to his mouth intending to eat it. "She made you so much food, did she think you were going to starve?"

Aerith chuckled, "No, I think she made extra for you."

"Well, it was better than whatever I could find. I was lucky to have an apple or a bag of chips."

He stuffed the sushi piece in his mouth. He munched on it and swallowed loudly.

Aerith looked at him curiously. "Why didn't you ask your parents to make you lunch?"

"My parents weren't there." The tone was lower than his normal pitch.

"You were alone?" Aerith looked startled.

Demyx's eyes widened as if he were not suppose to say that. He looked nervously and began laughing, scratching the back of his head.

"My uh... parents were busy... you see they didn't make a lot of money so..." he began to ramble. "I wasn't actually suppose to leave the house but I sneaked out because it sucked being home alone. The beach was fun and I met you and it was fun and your mom gave me food and..."

"I'm sorry." Aerith apologized.

Demyx arched and eyebrow, "For what?"

"I didn't mean to bring up such a sensitive topic." Aerith looked down at her half eaten sushi.

"Why, I'm not." he insisted.

Aerith looked up at him. He smiled at her, a very happy and genuine smile.

"If I didn't sneak out I would never have met you," he repeated.

Aerith blushed.

"So, uh, do you come here every summer?" Aerith asked.

He shook his head as he reached for another piece of sushi.

"Do you live here?"

"Nope, I live..." he took a moment to think before saying, "far from here."

"Oh," Aerith looked down.

"Why is something wrong?" he inquired as he continued to eat.

Aerith shook her head, "No, but... it's strange that after all these years we would meet here of all places. Both of us just happened to come here on vacation the exact same summer!"

Demyx thought for a moment. "Yeah, that's pretty weird. I mean the last time I was here was the summer we met."

"What?" Aerith gasped in shock. "That's the same for me!"

The two looked at one another. Was this a coincidence or was there some higher being involved. Regardless, it was an amazing thing that these two could meet again. It felt as if little time had passed and they fell back into their summer routine.

"So why did you decide to come back?" Aerith asked.

Demyx placed his empty box of sushi next to him. He leaned back on his hands and stared out into the ocean in the far distance. The look in his eyes seemed distant. Aerith tilted her head curiously.

"I love the beach!" he laughed, surprising Aerith. "I've been wanting to come back here for so long and swim. I love being in the water. It makes me happy and I feel safe."

Aerith nodded and picked up a piece of sushi with her chopstick. She brought it to her mouth and was prepared to eat it when Demyx spoke up.

"So why did you come back?"

Aerith dropped her sushi and it landed back in her box. Suddenly, a pain inside her caused her to cringe. Her memories began to flood her brain with things she wanted to forget. It hurt too much that she wanted to cry. She refused to cry in front of him. Demyx may have been her friend but he was very much a stranger.

"Do you want the rest of mine?" Aerith asked. "I'm pretty full."

"Do I?" he laughed. He snatched the box from her and began to eat again.

Demyx seemed so happy that he did not even realize Aerith did not answer his question. She was grateful. She did not want to dwell on her past. She just wanted to forget and thus far Demyx was doing a good job of making her forget.

He looked at her, munching on a piece of sushi. He swallowed and then leaned toward her.

"So, I know this is going to sound weird but do you want to go swimming tomorrow?"

"Like old times?" Aerith asked.

He nodded. Aerith hugged her knees to her and nodded in return. Demyx smiled even more as he continued to eat, glancing over at the setting sun.

"So how long will you be here?" he asked.

"All summer and you?"

"Same, so if you want to hang out more than just tomorrow you can find me anytime. I'll be, well you know, here."

"I know and I like the sound of that."


End file.
